Love Born of Pity Chapter 76

Do Yeonjae, who had finished his schedule earlier than usual, headed straight for the hospital. It was because of the results of some of the tests conducted today. Since he had been contacted in advance, he was able to meet the attending physician right away without having to wait in front of the consultation room. The doctor, who had a long-standing relationship with Do Yeonjae’s family, was also Jang Hyunsu’s physician.

“What are the results.”

“First, we conducted a comprehensive examination focusing on the areas you mentioned. As you might have expected, the patient is having problems receiving pheromones due to a sudden presentation. It’s a pheromone side effect.”

“Is this a common occurrence?”

The doctor calmly continued speaking as he looked over the results sheet.

“Not really. It’s not common for someone to present late like the patient. Most side effects are sporadic issues, so they require careful observation from the guardian. According to the test results, the degree of vision and hearing loss in the right side is high, didn’t you know? There must have been some noticeable differences from his usual self.”

At that moment, an image flashed through Do Yeonjae’s mind. The way Kwon Jiho’s head always tilted more to the right, his gaze that would watch Do Yeonjae’s mouth more closely than his eyes when he spoke, and the days when he couldn’t get a proper answer no matter what he said.

“His delayed responses, or watching my mouth intently……”

“He probably did that because he couldn’t hear well. Hmm……. He wouldn’t be used to lip-reading, so it must have been difficult for him to read the shape of the mouth……”

Do Yeonjae had no trouble inferring the rest of the doctor’s trailing words. He was asking if Do Yeonjae truly hadn’t known, until it got to that point.

“Well… you might not have known. If the patient was determined to hide it, then of course… Yes, you wouldn’t know.”

The doctor smiled awkwardly and explained the side effects that had appeared in Kwon Jiho.

“You might think he can just hear with his perfectly fine left ear, but the left side wasn’t at a normal level either. And… since damaged auditory cells don’t regenerate, you must take good care of him from now on. The same goes for his vision. For now, we’ll increase the dosage of the pheromone supplement and administer it orally. You, Mr. Do, must also be careful with your pheromone usage.”

The attending physician paused for a moment and stared intently at Do Yeonjae’s face. According to rumors, a guard was stationed inside the VIP room, and the patient wasn’t even allowed to go outside. The obsession with the young omega was said to be considerable.

They could be lovers, but as far as he knew, Do Yeonjae had a fiancée. The hospitalized patient seemed like someone he was keeping around for a bit of fun before marriage, but would this blunt and selfish man really welcome a pregnancy?

“The HCG level in the blood test results is high. This means there’s a possibility of pregnancy. We can determine the pregnancy status more accurately by conducting weekly blood tests.”

“By possibility, do you mean he’s pregnant?”

“It’s difficult to say for sure, but… in my personal opinion, I believe the patient is currently pregnant. If we perform an ultrasound in three weeks, we should be able to see the yolk sac implanted in the gestational sac. If you are considering termination, you need to let me know this week.”

Do Yeonjae recalled Kwon Jiho’s recent heat cycle that they had spent together. He had gotten pregnant even though he had taken contraceptives for dominant alphas. It was a natural result, considering the enormous amount he had poured directly into the womb, and how they had mated so much it would have been strange if he hadn’t gotten pregnant. The feeling was strange. That is, the faintly rising emotion was not one of displeasure.

Was it a sense of relief, thinking that since he had finally gotten Kwon Jiho pregnant—despite his distaste for brats—it would be easier to bring him into his home?

“Mr. Do?”

“Are my pheromones the only thing I need to be careful about.”

“If you’re planning to give birth, then for now, yes. Pheromone showers are essential for pregnant omegas, but the patient is currently suffering from side effects. You should refrain from exposure as much as possible and take your time very slowly to let him get used to the dominant alpha’s pheromones. You must not skip that step.”

“Alright, I’ll keep that in mind. I’ll take it slow.”

Leaving the attending physician, who even saw him out personally, Do Yeonjae walked straight to the elevator. There were many people waiting. Are they all omegas? His sweeping gaze caused the stares that had been focused on him to scatter in an instant.

As it was a general hospital specializing in omegas, there were a lot of pheromones floating in the air. It smelled even stronger once he got on the elevator. Inside the cramped space, the pheromones of several omegas mixed densely, creating a foul odor. His handsome face contorted. As he let out a deep sigh, Chief Kim, who had boarded with him, glanced at him cautiously.

He arrived at the floor where Kwon Jiho was hospitalized, soothing the throbbing pain and nausea in his stomach. Do Yeonjae, practically springing out of the elevator, headed for the lounge as soon as he got off. Chief Kim, who was following behind, also entered the lounge, not knowing what was going on.

Do Yeonjae, standing in front of the window, neurotically sprayed the provided deodorizer. He sprayed until his suit jacket was damp, then suddenly handed it to Chief Kim.

“Spray the back too. I feel like I’m going to throw up.”

“Ah, yes.”

“You might not have known, Chief Kim, but the elevator was full of omega pheromones. It’s unpleasant, very. Where do they get off pulling such cheap stunts……. Ha.”

Do Yeonjae muttered, his brow deeply furrowed. He usually had no particular thoughts about omega pheromones, so the disgust he was feeling now was even bewildering. He wondered if it was really something to be this revolted by.

“It’s not like Kwon Jiho would look at another alpha, but, fuck……. I can’t tell you how much of a relief it is that he has no pheromones.”

He had somehow managed to get rid of the scent clinging to his clothes with the deodorizer, but it felt like it had already seeped into his skin. He was worried that Kwon Jiho might get the wrong idea because so many different scents were mixed together.

“They say Kwon Jiho has a problem with his sight and hearing. It’s a side effect from his sudden presentation and from receiving a dominant alpha’s pheromones with an incomplete constitution.”

“Is that so?”

“We’ll minimize pheromone exposure and let him adapt slowly. Well, it wouldn’t matter even if he can’t adapt right away, would it? He’s going to live his life receiving only my pheromones anyway. When I think about making him adapt for a lifetime, it doesn’t feel like such a big problem.”

Chief Kim noticed the strangely excited tone in his voice when he pronounced the word “lifetime” and quickly replied.

“……Yes, I suppose so. Besides, since you’ll be helping him in every way possible, won’t he adapt quickly?”

“He probably will. He’ll have to. Oh, and replace all the medical staff going in and out of Kwon Jiho’s room with betas. Except for the attending physician.”

“Yes, I’ll see to it.”

Do Yeonjae took off his jacket, which had turned a darker shade from being soaked with deodorizer, and, still not satisfied, even washed his face. He wanted to wash his hair, but if the hair of someone who had been at the office all day was wet after work, it might look like he had been doing something else.

“Really, he’s so high-maintenance. It’s a wonder I don’t find it annoying.”

Chief Kim couldn’t find an appropriate reply. Whose fault was it that he was so high-maintenance? From his boss’s perspective, they were in a relationship, but from Kwon Jiho’s point of view, who knew. Who in the world would treat someone they’ve given their heart to in this way?

Was he like this because he had no experience with relationships? As far as he knew, Do Yeonjae was always surrounded by omegas. But he had never dated any of them, and after one or two encounters, he never saw them again. Was that why he had come to this conclusion? Because he had never experienced a proper relationship.

“The marriage, then, as you said……”

“I have to marry Kwon Jiho. I broke off my engagement with Kang Gyumin. Aren’t you going to get your head on straight?”

Do Yeonjae scowled. It had been a while since he said he wouldn’t marry Kang Gyumin, so why was he being so dense? Do Yeonjae checked his reflection in the mirror and confirmed his neat appearance, which wasn’t much different from the morning.

They would get married soon, and although their relationship had been strained once, they could just redefine it. From now on, he didn’t want to hurt Kwon Jiho’s feelings with unnecessary misunderstandings.

It was an ignorant thought, born from not knowing what kind of feelings Kwon Jiho held, or what kind of plans he was making.

♬⋆.˚

As usual, Do Yeonjae entered the hospital room and immediately took Kwon Jiho to the bathroom. It seemed he hadn’t been able to use the restroom all day again. Kwon Jiho didn’t know it yet, but he was pregnant; was it okay to make him hold it in for so long? Such a worry crossed Do Yeonjae’s mind.

“I’ll have the guard stand outside for the time being, so don’t hold it in.”

Kwon Jiho, who couldn’t hear the words mixed with the sound of the flushing toilet, wrinkled his face and sniffled. It sounded like he was being told not to do something, so he vaguely nodded his head. Do Yeonjae then cupped his flushed cheeks and lifted his head.

“I said I’ll have the guard stand outside, so don’t hold it in. Did you understand?”

He was saying he could use the bathroom by himself. His voice was loud enough to echo in the bathroom. The light-colored eyes lingered on Do Yeonjae’s lips before finally meeting his gaze. He moved his dry lips and replied softly, thank you. I don’t know why he’s being so fickle all of a sudden.